1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a cannula for use in surgical procedures. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a cannula including a seal assembly adapted to form a seal within a cannula prior to, during and subsequent to insertion of an object through the cannula.
2. Background of Related Art
Minimally invasive surgical procedures have been developed during which surgical instruments are passed through small openings in body tissue to access internal surgical sites. Typically, during these procedures, after an incision has been formed in the body tissue, a cannula defining a lumen is inserted through the incision and positioned in relation to the surgical site. During a laparoscopic procedure, for example, the body cavity is inflated with a nontoxic insufflation gas to create a working area inside a patient for surgical instruments and to allow a trocar to penetrate a body cavity without penetrating an organ within the body cavity. Generally, the cannula includes a sealing member or members to seal the cannula lumen prior to, during, and after insertion of a surgical instrument into the body cavity to prevent insufflation gases within the body cavity from escaping. The sealing member or members often include adjustable sealing elements capable of sealing about multiple instruments of different sizes and shapes.
Although known seal systems for cannulae adequately perform the intended sealing functions, a continuing need exists for a self-sealing system which substantially seals a cannula during all phases of the procedure and which allows for easy insertion and removal of multiple size instruments into and from the cannula.